Let's face it: Len Wiseman knows how to cut to the chase. An established film director, Wiseman tackles the literary world of Washington Irving for the upcoming Fox series "Sleepy Hollow." We have an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at Wiseman's pilot episode that's so good, you just might lose your head over it.

A tale nearly 250 years in the making, "Sleepy Hollow" pits the legendary Ichabod Crane against the Headless Horseman in modern times. Executive producer/writer Roberto Orci pointed to Wiseman's feature-film experience as a definite plus for the series: "We try to treat every hour of TV like it's a little movie. We wanted to have that quality, that scope, that sensibility."

On the big screen, Wiseman made his mark with his wife, Kate Beckinsale, in the dark "Underworld" franchise. It's no surprise, then, that the director loves the genre of his new series (even if it doesn't feature his lovely spouse in tight leather garments). "I really enjoy creating a world all to itself. And this is our chance to do a bit of that, too," he admitted.

Executive producer Heather Kadin said that Wiseman's movies are also very visual: "What he did with 'Underworld' was to make things that you've seen before feel very hip and modern and cool. His whole vibe is very hip and modern and cool. So he just tonally has been right the whole time."

Tom Mison, the actor playing displaced hero Ichabod Crane, said that Wiseman has a lot of class and good taste: "It's nice to know that when you do a take, and you look up to the director behind the monitor, and he gives you a thumbs-up, you trust the thumbs-up."